


Alike in Dignity

by thomasjeffersonsmacaroni



Series: The Other 51 [4]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romeo and Juliet AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-03 09:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8707834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thomasjeffersonsmacaroni/pseuds/thomasjeffersonsmacaroni
Summary: Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDoth with their death bury their parents' strife.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty OOC for some characters but for the conventions of the AU I had to

**I.**

"Do you see them?" Daniel whispered up to his friend Gregory, straining under his weight on his shoulders as Gregory peered over the tall white fence. "Because if you don't, then I'm letting you down. We have work to do."

"No - wait. I think I see one of them. The one named Ephraim or something. What kind of a name is Ephraim?"

Daniel giggled, all ill will gone. "Okay, throw it at him."

Gregory reached into his purse, pulled out a ripe tomato, and chucked it in the direction of the Burr servant, giggling hysterically when he heard a shriek and saw an offended, wet face.

" _Hamiltons,_ " he muttered disdainfully, looking around for someone else that he could bring into the fray, eventually calling forward another servant named Gerald. They whispered to each other, and then Ephraim pulled out a raw potato and threw it angrily at Gregory's head, knocking the two servants for the Hamiltons down.

"What the  _fuck?_ " Gregory muttered, picking himself up and grabbing Daniel by the hand.

"We need to take revenge," said Daniel. "Lord Hamilton left his pistol in the garden. Will you be my second?"

"Obviously."

Daniel ran to the garden, grabbed Alexander Hamilton's pistol from the chair, and made sure that it was loaded as he ran next door to the Burr mansion.

"Ephraim!" he yelled. "I challenge you to an affair of honor! Come out here like a man!"

"You're on!" Gerald yelled back after half a minute. "Ephraim needs to get his pistol. Where are we meeting?"

"There's a good open field just half a mile southeast. Meet me there."

"You got it."

Daniel and Gregory went to the stable to saddle their horses, but as they were going there, they bumped into a teenage boy with a huge head of dark curls.

"Oh, I'm so - _wait._ " He looked at them suspiciously.

"My lord, Georges Washington de Lafayette." Daniel and Gregory gave a quick curtsy. "We have to go."

"Why do you have Alexander's pistol?" Georges asked, eyebrows furrowing in suspicion.

"It was in the garden. We're going to duel some Burr servants."

"I forbid you!" Georges exclaimed. "You know what Prince Washington said about fighting. The Hamiltons and the Burrs have to be peaceful towards each other."

"Georges, the Hamiltons and the Burrs will never be peaceful to each other," Daniel said pointedly. "Now please, let us pass."

"If you don't put down that pistol  _right now,_ I'm telling Alexander."

"Lord Hamilton must not know," said Gregory, trying to shove his way past the young boy living with the Hamiltons. But he was strong for his size, and he stood in front of the two servants and glared.

Suddenly, they heard a sound behind them; Ephraim and Gerald were there, accompanied by a curious-looking George Eacker, who also lived with the Burrs.

"Well?" Ephraim asked. "Why are you not going?"

"Georges here won't let us pass," Daniel explained. "I apologize sincerely."

"I'm just trying to keep the peace," said Georges defensively. "This city is hurt every day by this feud."

"Peace?" George Eacker smirked. "Peace is for  _cowards._ I hate peace almost as much as I hate Hamiltons."

"At least I'm not a  _Burr,_ " Gregory snapped. "Burrs are cheating, lying cowards who-"

Suddenly, he felt a flash of movement, and then intense pain in his nose; Gerald had stepped forward and punched him.

"Oh,  _fuck you!_ _"_ he screamed, returning the favor without a second thought.

Pistols put aside, the four servants now fistfought on the streets, George Eacker leading the fray and probably throwing the most punches, Georges helplessly trying to pull the five aside. Suddenly, they heard a scream.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Aaron Burr shouted, dressed out of the fancy jacket that he always wore, outfit rumpled and mismatched. By his side was his wife Lady Theodosia, who looked more put-together in a dress of soft pink.

"Pull yourselves apart!" he joined Georges in shouting, not daring to enter the ball of flying fists. Theodosia, too, pleaded for them to stop, but she cut off when Lord Alexander Hamilton and Lady Eliza came out of the Hamilton mansion.

"What is going on?" Lord Hamilton whispered to Georges, but the small boy, still approaching as closely as possible to the fighters without joining them, didn't hear him. Everything was a mixture of anger and confusion and fear, and everything cut off when they heard the royal bells chiming.

"End this!" Prince George Washington screamed through a megaphone. "End this  _right now_ in the name of your royal prince!"

Reluctantly, the servants and Eacker pulled apart and stood on shaky legs, Gregory pressing the sleeve of his shirt to the cut on his upper cheek.

"This is the  _third time_ this week!" Prince Washington snapped frustratedly, having put his megaphone away. "The  _third time_ that this ridiculous feud, which should have been over a long time ago, sparked again. If this happens again, I will put you to death in our good city of New York. Lord and Lady Burr, take your servants and Lord Eacker to the judgment hall. Lord and Lady Hamilton, you and your servants and little Lord Lafayette will come this afternoon."

Lord Burr obliged willingly. He and Theodosia each grabbed Ephraim and Gerald by the arm, Eacker following reluctantly, and went after Prince Washington. When they were gone, Eliza looked at Gregory and Daniel.

"Go," she said. "You have work to do, I believe."

"Yes, milady."

Once they had gone back into the house, Georges began to frantically defend himself.

"Lord Hamilton, Lady Hamilton, I swear that I had no part in this. I tried to stop them, I-"

"You did everything that you could," said Lord Hamilton. "Don't worry."

"Where is Philip, do you know?" Lady Hamilton asked. "I haven't seen him all morning, and I worry about him. He's been much sadder than usual these past few days. He doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, just wanders through the forest mumbling to himself. I haven't seen him write a poem in  _ages._ "

"I've noticed," said Georges. "I'll try to talk to him. You know how close we are."

"Thank you," Lord Hamilton said with a smile, putting his hand on Georges's shoulder. "I must go now, I have business to attend to."

"As do I," said Lady Hamilton, moving into the house as Georges went into the forest in search of his friend. He found him almost instantly sitting on a tree stump and lying on the ground, shoulder-length brown hair fanning out, brown eyes pooling with tears.

"Philip!" Georges exclaimed. "Your parents have been looking for you. What's wrong?"

"Oh, is it morning already?" Philip looked up, leaning a hand on the ground.

"Yes, it is. Tell me, Pip, what happened? I've seen you wander around everywhere. This isn't like you."

"No, it's not. You know Frances Laurens?"

"Of course I know her, your father is best friends with her father, the friar. We used to play all the time toge - _Oh."_

When Philip had said Frances Laurens's name, he had looked down at his shoeless feet, and the tears had pooled even more in his eyes as his hands crunched some of the summer leaves.

"She refused me when I asked her out," said Philip. "Said that she was going to take a vow of chastity. Tell me, Georges, what kind of woman casually takes a vow of chastity like that? Only if her parents forced her. And her mother is dead, and her father wouldn't do that. She  _obviously_ just doesn't love me as much as I love her."

"I'm sorry," said Georges, not knowing what else to. "Frances is a good girl. You would have been good with her. Try to forget about her, okay?"

"Forget about her?" Philip practically whispered, eyes widening after he blinked his tears away. "How can I forget about her, Georges, she was my soulmate! You don't just-"

"Soulmates don't exist," said Georges. "Go to parties. Find other girls that are like her. Get into an arranged marriage. Pip, you can't stay heartbroken forever. You've got to move on after a couple of weeks."

"Show me one girl who's half as good as Frances," Philip said bitterly, "and then I'll reconsider. But until then-"

"You're going to find a girl who's  _twice_ as good as Fran and better," Georges promised, kneeling down to place a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I swear on my life."

 

"But sir-"

" _No."_

Lord Aaron Burr sat at his desk, writing a letter, and young Joseph Alston, dressed in his most formal attire, stood in front of him, brown eyes pleading as he talked non-stop.

"She's too young," said Lord Burr. "My Theodosia is only nineteen. I have said that I will not marry her off until she is twenty-one, and I will not marry her off without her consent, and neither of those things have happened."

"I've met women who had three children at nineteen," Alston protested. "I don't understand why you're so insistent on age."

"Theo considers her studies to be above everything." By now, Lord Burr had finished the letter and was folding it up and putting it into an envelope. "If you want to marry her before she finishes them at twenty-one, then you'll need to take it up with her, and not me. Her opinion is what matters the most."

"You need my wealth and-"

"We need nothing. The Burrs are one of the two most powerful families in New York. And if you dare disrespect me again, I will send you away and never consider you for marriage."

"Yes, sir," Alston whispered meekly, stepping out of the room and retreating.

Lord Burr sighed and rolled his eyes; the overenthusiastic Count Alston had come to his office every day for the past week, begging him to reconsider about marrying his daughter Theodosia off. But he would never change his mind, not until Theo had a sudden change of heart and put her studies aside, which she would never.

A servant came into his office, and Lord Burr called him forward and handed him a set of envelopes.

"Hand these out," he said. "They're for the Burr party happening tonight."

The servant nodded blindly and ran out of the room, and it wasn't until he was out on the street that he realized that he had never learned to read. It was rather unlike Lord Burr to be so careless, but he supposed that his peace had already been disturbed from the morning, so his mind was not as sound as it usually was.

 _Too late to turn back now._ He would just have to find someone to read the pages for him.

At the same time, Philip Hamilton and Georges Washington de Lafayette were walking through the streets, chatting enthusiastically, when they ran across a servant whom they did not know.

"Pardon my rudeness, good sirs," he said, "but would you mind reading the names on these invitations? My lord commanded me to hand them out."

"Of course!" Georges took them brightly and read the names aloud, stumbling over a few of the pronunciations.

"...and Frances Laurens. Who is your master, good sir?" Georges was bouncing to tell good news to his friend, but he kept his mouth shut for the sake of the mysterious servant.

"Lord Burr," said the servant. "These invitations are nothing but formality, if you're not a Hamilton or uff-li-ti-a-ted with one, then you can come. Good day, and I thank you very much."

Once he was out of earshot, Georges turned to Philip.

"Pip, Frances is coming! If you're there, then you can see other girls, and you can  _definitely_ see that there are girls better than her, and-"

"There are  _no_ girls better than Frances," Philip interrupted. "And you'll never convince me otherwise."

"Go, and you'll see."

"Fine, I'll go," said Philip reluctantly. "But only for Frances. Not for any of these mysterious girls who are supposed to be better than her."

 

"...and then he said that my perfume smelled nice. Can you believe that?"

Polly Jefferson was a mixture of frustration and laughter as she told the story to her friend, Theodosia Burr, who was sitting cross-legged and trying her hardest to braid her big, curly hair.

"Who just does that, though?" Theodosia was giggling as she reached for a green hair ribbon on her bed. "You don't just tell a girl that her perfume smells nice. You  _lead up_ to that. And besides-"

"Theo, I'd like to talk to you." Lady Burr stood at the doorway, leaning against it, as she watched the two girls.

"I'm sorry." Theo tied a bow in Polly's hair and stood up to go with her mother.

"Joseph Alston has been pushing me and your father about marriage," said Lady Burr once they were alone in a room. "Now, I know you've told us that you wanted to finish your studies before even considering the subject, but he's been persistent, and I just wanted to know if your feelings on the topic were still the same."

"They are," Theo assured her. "And they'll never change. A husband will just distract me from my schoolwork, and I don't want to be forced to give one up for the other."

"I understand." Lady Burr stepped to the left and ran a hand through her daughter's hair. "And your father and I will respect your wishes, always. I swear that."

Theo looked up at her mother warmly. "Thank you."

Just as the two Theodosias were about to embrace, a servant came in with a plate full of food.

"Lady Burr, the guests are arriving."

"Serve them the first platter," said Lady Burr. "My daughter and I need to get ready. Come, Theo, I'll help you."

 

"Pip, your hair is messed up again."

Philip and Georges were in the room of William Mulligan and in the house of Hercules and Elizabeth, his parents, and all three of them were preparing for the party, Georges and Will enthusiastically, Philip not so much.

"Pip, get off of the floor," William scolded. "You need to put on your shoes."

Philip groaned. "You know I don't even want to go?"

"Yes," said Georges. "We know. Do you want to know how we know? Because you've been telling us for the past hour."

"I'm only going because Frances is going-"

"-and even though Georges tells you that you'll find someone better, you know that isn't true, because there's no one better than Fran, and you're only going so that Georges and I leave you alone." Will continued as he grabbed Philip by the arm and pulled him up.

"Exactly. But you know I'm going to complain the whole time."

"As long as you go, I don't even care."

"Will," said Georges. "The party's going to start soon. We have to leave."

"You hear that, Pip?" Will nudged his friend with his toe. "We have to leave. So get up before I get Dad and John over here."

"Fine," Philip groaned, allowing Will to pull him up and lead him to the front door, where all three of their pairs of shoes were hastily strewn on the welcome mat. The boys found theirs, put on the masks that Will had pulled out of his purse, and began to move in the direction of the Burr mansion.

"This is going to be so fun," Will whispered when they were at the door, sneaking in past the servant who lazily checked his invitation. "You two are  _sneaking into a Burr party!"_

Georges giggled, and it sounded like an echo under his mask, but Philip merely sighed.

"Oh, Philip, lighten up!" Will stood up and gave his friend a hug, which Georges joined in.

"Pip, it's going to be okay," said Georges. "It's not like they're going to start a scene in the middle of the party."

" _And_ you can look at Frances," Will teased.

"Or find another girl," Georges said pointedly. "Finding another girl is the most important thing here."

Eventually, Philip nodded. "Okay. Fine. Let's do this."

"That's the spirit." Will poked his friend in the stomach. "Let's do this."

 

Even though the party had barely started for half an hour, it was already loud and rowdy, music playing and people laughing and conversations filling up the room. Lord Burr missed this kind of thing; he hadn't been at one of his Burr parties for what must have been at least a year. Probably much more.

Theodosia and Polly Jefferson were on the other end of the room, whispering to each other under their painted masks.

"Oh, there's Thayne," Polly giggled. "Remember how last year you said that he had nice hair and he heard you?"

Theo started to laugh, but then Thayne walked closer to them, so she had to hold it in, resulting in some sort of weird spit-spray snort, which made the two girls laugh even harder once Thayne was out of earshot.

"Who's he?" Theo poked Polly and nodded across the room. "I know the one to his left is Will Mulligan, but I don't know those other two."

Polly stood on tip-toes to look. "I don't know. He's tall, though. Probably as tall as you."

Theo shook her head. "I don't think so. I like his hair, though. I could run my hands through it as I-"

" _Theo!"_

Both girls broke out into laughter again, but Theo continued looking at the mysterious boy across the room.

 

"I think Frances is somewhere over there." Will gestured broadly at the crowd, and Georges nodded.

"She should be wearing that pink dress. Go find her, but  _don't talk to her._ Just see how average she is compared to other girls."

"I won't, I promise," Philip sighed. His friends clapped him on the back, and then they were gone.

He was wandering miserably through the crowd, watching Frances (he had found her easily) laugh and dance in the middle of the ballroom, when he looked over to the snack table and felt Georges's promise be fulfilled.

The fulfillment had short natural hair that formed a curly ball around her round head. Much of her face was hidden by the mask, but her dark brown eyes were striking, and her full lips were curved into a wide smile, two rows of white teeth showing. She had rich dark skin, much darker than Philip's own, and her right hand now ran through her hair, smoothing it out, and something about that action made Philip's heart skip a beat.

"I have to meet her," he whispered, and he bumped into George Eacker, who was walking through the crowd, in his rush to get over to her.

"Oh, sorry," Philip said quickly, and Eacker was about to say the same before he realized who it was.

"You must be lost,  _Hamilton._ Get out of our Burr party before I get my gun and shoot you on the spot."

Philip shook; he had heard from his friends about the terrifying George Eacker, who worked for the Burrs and was quick to temper and even quicker to his fists. But his sudden infatuation with the girl took over anything else, and he tried to ignore the way Eacker ran straight to Lord Burr, face screwed up in a Satanic frown.

"Hello," he said when he approached her and her friend. "I'm Philip. What's your name?"

She graced him with a soft smile and a curtsy. "I'm Theo, and this is my friend Polly."

"Theo, Polly, lovely to meet you both." He knelt down and kissed both of their hands.

"Lovely to meet you too, Philip." Theo smiled again, only this time wider and more bashfully.

"So, Theo," said Philip, standing up and leaning against the wall, "do you like poetry?"  _Shit, Pip, do you just open up your conversations with "do you like poetry"? Usually you're a lot smoother._

But Theo merely laughed. "I _love_ poetry. Not good at writing it myself, but I love reading it. What about you?"

"I like both," said Philip. "Reading and writing. My mom says I'm a good poet."

"You'll have to let me read some of your poems sometime," Theo said. "You strike me as someone whose poems I'd like to read."

"And you strike me as someone whom I'd let read my poems."

"He uses  _whom,_ " Theo whispered to Polly out of the corner of her mouth. "I like him."

Polly nodded. "Using  _whom_ is the basic requirement for a lover."

" _Whom_ is important," said Philip defensively, giving a cheeky smile to show that he had heard them. "I would never marry someone who doesn't use whom."

"Your mother is calling you," said Polly suddenly, turning to her friend. "She wants to talk to you."

Theo nodded, said a quick goodbye to Philip, and left in the direction of the door.

"Who's her mother?" Philip asked Polly, who was looking at him sort of awkwardly.

"Lady Theodosia Burr."

Philip nodded, though on the inside, his body felt numb.

 _A Burr. The girl who matched wits with me, who's pure beauty in human form, who is_ better than Fran  _just like Georges said. And she's a Burr._

"I have to go now," he said, but when the words came out of his mouth, they didn't sound like words. "It's getting late. My parents will be expecting me." 

_My parents, Alexander and Elizabeth Hamilton._

 

 

"I'm back!" Theo bounced up to her friend, green dress poofing around her. "Where's Philip?"

"Philip had to go. He said that it was getting late. Thing is, I told him that your mother was Lady Theodosia Burr, and he just sort of...shut down. And then he started to leave."

Theo frowned. "Maybe he has some sort of grudge against the Burrs for some reason? That would be weird, though. I mean, I don't think I did anything to him, and neither did my father."

"It wasn't  _hatred,_ " said Polly. "More like...shock. So maybe-"

Suddenly, Eacker ran up to them, looking frantic.

"Polly, have you seen Philip Hamilton around here? I saw him talking to you and Theo, and then I think he left. He and his friends infiltrated our party, and I want to take revenge."

"He left," said Polly, clutching Theo's hand so that she didn't cry out. "Maybe you'll find him later. But remember what Prince Washington said about violence. Is it really worth-"

"I don't give a  _shit_ about what the Prince said. Philip Hamilton - and probably his little buddy Georges - invaded our party. They need to pay."

Theo stared at the person whom she would consider her friend and made no noise but a deep intake of breath.

 

**II.**

"Where's Pip?"

Georges and Will were standing by the forest near the Burr mansion, having run away from the wrath of Eacker, but the absence of the third member of the group was haunting both of them.

"I don't know," said Georges. "I saw him leave the party after talking to some girls, but I haven't seen him since."

"I wonder if she was better than Fran," Will laughed.

"He seemed sad after he left her, so I don't think so. Maybe he went off to pursue Fran again."

"Seduce her with some of his poetry. I don't think he ever tried that."

"I think our Pip will try anything at this point," Georges said with a pointed smile.

Both friends broke into loud laughter, not caring at this point who heard them.

 

Philip heard them.

"They just don't understand," he whispered, leaning against the wall that divided the Burr garden from the rest of the world. "And they never will."

Theo was up there. And he had to get to her.

She was so beautiful, even though she was a Burr. And so smart, even though she was a Burr. And she could match wits with him, and she liked poetry, and he had to meet her again.

But every thought he had about her he finished with  _even though she was a Burr._ And he didn't care.

"Theo?" he called up, trying not to be too loud in case anyone else heard him. "Theo! Are you up there?"

"Who's there?" The voice that answered him was soft and sleepy, and when he looked up again, he saw that her perfect hair was messy, and that she was wearing a pink nightgown with a blanket wrapped over it.

"Theo, it's me. Philip."

"Philip?" she called down. "Philip Hamilton?"

"Hamilton," he said with scorn, looking for a sturdy vine so that he could climb up to her. "I hate the Hamilton name. If I could give it up, I would."

"Then give it up," said Theo, looking at him with a gleam in her eye. "And I'll stop being a Burr. If that's what it takes for me to see you again, it will be worth it ten times over. I can just be Theo, and you can just be Philip."

"I would. For you, I would do anything." Now Philip was standing at the railing that separated the balcony from the garden, and Theo helped him climb over it, keeping her hand on his.

"Pip, you need to get out of here," whispered Theo. "If they see you, they'll kill you. Eacker already hates you because you invaded our party. Who knows what he'll do to you and your friends?"

"I don't care," said Philip stubbornly. "I just wanted to see you again. I care about you more than I care about your family."

When Philip had talked to Theo before, it had seemed as if she was constantly sizing him up to measure his worth. Now, in contrast, he saw none of that, only a wide smile as she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck.

"Well, now that you're up here," she whispered, "tell me about yourself, Pip. We only had one conversation, and a million conversations couldn't be enough for me to figure you out. But I want to get close."

She leaned against the railing and took Philip's hand, then leaned her head on his shoulder as she listened to him speak. He talked about everything and nothing, about his friends and his parents and his poetry and studies, pausing every once in a while to let Theo burst in with her own opinions. She had many, and she was willing to share them readily, and even though they were often different from his own, he loved to hear her talk. Their whispered conversations and soft, subtle touches lasted until dawn struck them, and Philip was forced to come back down.

"Wait. Pip." Theo grabbed onto his hand to stop him before he left.

"Yes?"

"I know this is a bit forward." Her eyes were filled with worry, face scrunched up in concern and overwhelmingly some kind of determination.

"What is it?"

"Will you marry me? I know we've only just met, but I feel like I understand you more than I've ever understood anyone. Even my father. And I've always understood my father well."

Philip hesitated for a moment, but nothing more. He wrapped his arms around her back, bent down only slightly, and gave her a long kiss on the lips for the first time.

"I'll talk to Father Laurens," he murmured into her ear. "I promise that we'll figure it out."

Theo nodded against his cheek. "Thank you, Philip."

"Theo, your mother's calling you!" a voice came from inside.

"I have to go now," Theo whispered. "When can I see you again?"

"Send one of your servants," Philip whispered back. "I'll send a message through Father Laurens about whether or not he's willing to marry us."

"All right." Theo gave him a final kiss on the nose, then ran back into the room, calling along her way, "I'm here!"

Philip yawned into the palm of his hand, then began his climb down the vines that laced the walls. He had work to do.

 

Father Laurens was outside in his garden, planting seeds and watering them, when Philip came running up, tying his hair into a loose ponytail as he approached the garden.

"Pip, is that you?" Laurens asked him, smiling widely. "Have you come to visit me?"

"Mmm-hmm. I brought some of Mother's cake. I told her I was visiting you, and she insisted."

"Perfect timing." Laurens grabbed his water pail and walked inside, Philip following. "I was just finishing up. I would hate to leave for anything in the middle of my work, even if it was your mother's cake. Did she make it chocolate?"

"Of course."

"Perfect. Give your mother my thanks."

Laurens poured them two glasses of water as Philip placed his cake on the table, almost dropping it with how much his hands were shaking.

"Pip, are you all right?" Laurens sat down in his seat, gave Philip one of the glasses, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're  _shaking._ "

"Umm," said Philip, for once in his life at a loss for words. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

"You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?"

"Of course."

"All right, what is it?"

"Do you know Theodosia? Aaron Burr's daughter?"

"Of course I know her. What about her?"

"Well, er, this is kind of a weird request...."

"I'm not killing anyone for you, Pip. She's a lovely girl."

"No, it's nothing like that. I was just going to ask if you'd be willing to marry us." These last words Philip said in one burst, getting them out as soon as possible before he lost all courage.

"Marry her? Pip, marriage is a very serious decision. How long have you known her?"

"One night. But Father, I'm sure that she's the one. I've talked to her all night, and we have a lot in common. We're both smart, we both like poetry, and we both love each other. Please, Father."

Father Laurens took a deep breath. Then he spoke, as if on a whim.

"My daughter Frances."

"I'm sorry?"

"You went around telling everyone you knew that you loved her. Now, suddenly, I'm supposed to believe that all of that is gone and that you suddenly love Theo Burr now. Did you even care for her at all?"

"Only as a friend," said Philip. "I thought that I loved her, but that was just youthful foolishness. I'm content to be her friend. I do care for your daughter, but not as a lover, as I thought. Only as a friend."

"She plans to take a vow of chastity. If you tell me that you only stopped loving her because of that, I swear to God that I will murder you on the spot." By now Laurens had stood up, clenching the glass in a hand that was turning white with anger, and his face was twisted into a scowl.

"I was heartbroken when I learned that," Philip confessed, "but I moved on. Like I said, it was only an adolescent crush. Theo is true love."

Laurens sighed, sitting back down and setting the glass on the table. "I still don't know. You've only met her once, and, knowing you, I doubt that your parents know about this development."

Philip didn't know what to say to that, as it was entirely true. He merely watched Laurens stare ahead in thought, sighing occasionally and muttering to himself.

"Fine," he said eventually. "I'll marry you. I hope that a marriage will finally end this ridiculous feud between your families. Please, Pip, don't come to regret this. You're a smart boy."

"I won't. Thank you, Father Laurens. Thank you so much." Already he was bounding up, bidding a quick goodbye to his friend, and running out of the small cottage to find whatever servant Theo had chosen to send out.

 

While Philip was sorting out affairs of love, Will and Georges were wandering the streets, giggling hysterically at an inside joke. Suddenly, Will stopped and looked at his friend with concern.

"Do you know where Pip is? I haven't seen him since last night."

"I spoke to his father," said Georges. "He hasn't come home. I told him that he was with us just so that he wouldn't get in trouble. I really hope he's okay."

"Chasing Fran, knowing him," Will joked. "Hey, did you hear that Eacker sent a letter to Lord Hamilton?"

"A duel challenge?"

"Yes, sir. Specifically for Pip."

"He'll answer it. Lord Hamilton's taught him badly. Maybe Lady Hamilton will discourage him."

"I sure hope so. Otherwise our Pip's dead, and he'll never be able to experience the joys of wooing the beautiful Frances Laurens." William wrapped an arm around Georges and gestured broadly at the streets.

Suddenly, Georges poked him. "Oh, there he is! Why, he's bouncing! Our Pip is  _excited._ "

"Pip!" Will called. "Pip, get your ass over here. You have a lot of explaining to do."

Philip ran up to his friends, grinning broadly. "What explaining do I have to do, my dear Will?"

"You ditched us last night. Who's the girl?"

"Frances as always?" Georges proposed.

Philip hesitated before nodding. "Maybe she'll change her mind. Who knows?"

"Who knows, indeed," Will submitted, wrapping his free arm around him. "You'd better have good charms, Philip Hamilton. And I'd better be the best man at your wedding."

Philip sighed and looked forward. "I'll do my best. But you know I've got candidates up and down the block."

"Oh, really?"

"Mmm-hmm. Like you, Georges..." Philip hesitated, and all three burst out into laughter.

"I'm the number one candidate still," Will said. "You'd better pick me above Georges, or I'll haunt you from my grave."

"I'll double haunt you," Georges insisted. "Pick me."

"I'm better."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're - wait, Pip, who's that girl waving at you?"

She had a head full of black curls tied in a ponytail, and Philip instantly recognized her as Polly Jefferson from the party. She ran up to him and his friends.

"Philip, Theo sent me to you. She said that she wants to know your answer." She gave him a pointed glance, as if she knew exactly what the answer was for. She probably did; she seemed pretty close to Theo.

"The answer is yes," Philip told her, ignoring his confused friends surrounding them.

"She'll be happy to hear that," said Polly.

"Pray tell, what's your name?" Will asked her, grinning devilishly.

"I'm Polly Jefferson, and I live with the Burrs."

"Polly Jefferson. I like your hair."

"Thank you. I worked really hard on it. Do you want my shampoo to use? You look like you could use it."

Will fell over in exaggerated shock. "Are you...criticizing my hair?"

"I'm critiquing it. There's a difference." Polly gave him a pointed glance and a smile. "We'll talk again."

Georges looked at Philip and raised an eyebrow. "What was _that_ all about?"

"Theo wanted to know if she could read my poetry." Philip made up a semi-truth on the spot.

"Don't show her all of it," warned Will. "She's a Burr. She'll probably steal it or something."

"Will!" Georges scolded, giving him a hand back up. "Let Pip show Theo the poetry. Lord knows that it might finally end this ridiculous feud."

"Burrs are villains," Will rebutted. "I don't want the feud to end. Philip, I'm begging you right now. If you value your friends-"

"Will?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

 

"He said yes."

Polly burst into Theo's bedroom, practically slamming open the door, making Theo throw her book across the room in shock.

"What did you say?" Theo asked, because Polly had spoken in a whisper.

"I said, he said yes. Also, his friend has shit hair and tried to flirt with me."

"Fix his hair," said Theo as she stood up, "and then maybe you can date him. Until then, I give my seal of disapproval. He probably doesn't use  _whom._ "

"I think he does, actually," said Polly. "He seemed like that kind of guy. Anyway, the focus is on you. Theodosia Burr, you're going to get  _married!_ Congratulations!"

Polly wrapped her friend in a hug so tight that Theo made a noise of protest.

"Wear your nice dress and go to Father Laurens's cell," Polly commanded once she let her go. "As soon as possible. Pip's probably waiting. Theo, I'm so happy for you! You and Pip definitely seem like a good couple."

Theo smiled bashfully and put on a simple brown dress from her closet, brushing her hair for about two seconds with her fingers before giving her friend one last hug and practically running out of the door.

Father Laurens's cell was ten minutes from her mansion, but Theo managed to cross the distance in five, though she was out of breath when she ran in, and Philip was sitting down on the floor and waiting.

"Hello, Father Laurens," Theo greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, Theodosia. We can proceed now, I think."

The ceremony was simple, nowhere near as grandiose as Theo's fantasies about her wedding, but the guy was ten times better than she imagined, so that made up for it and more.

"I usually tell couples to love intensely, to allow all of their feelings to pour out as if their bodies are bleeding, for all of their love to shine through their eyes like an infinitely bright light, so much that it blinds everyone but the lover. But your love is that and more, and you proceed as if you're doing a tango on ice.

"And yes, you have a fire inside of you. And a love that is a fire is good for when you want to light a match or a hearth. But your ice is thin, so be careful that you don't burn your houses down.

"Love moderately. That is all the advice that I can give, and if I could, I would give it again and again and again.

"But enough about that. You may now kiss the bride."

And Philip kissed her with all of the fire that Father Laurens was describing, and in that moment, neither of them cared about the ice that was melting beneath them.

 

**III.**

"Our Pip is gone," Georges sighed to the streets. "How many times must Fran reject him before he accepts that she doesn't love him?"

"A million," Will quipped, "and then a million more, and then again a million, because his love runs deep like the ocean and her 'no' runs deep like the puddle. Say, Georges, is there anywhere we need to be right now? Because I still need to get the Jefferson girl's shampoo."

"I don't think so. But, Will, the Burr house has already challenged us to a duel. Would it  _really_ be wise to go back there?"

"Eacker isn't the Burr house," Will pointed out, "and I need that shampoo. If there is criticism of my hair, it must be answered swiftly and efficiently. And besides-"

"Shh." Georges grabbed him by the hand and tried to no avail to pull him in the opposite direction of the one in which they had been walking.

"What's gotten into you, Georges?"

"Eacker's there, with a buddy of his. And you know what Prince Washington said about fig -  _WILL!_ "

Will had broken free of his grasp and was running over to his rival, Georges bounding helplessly after him, trying to stop, stop,  _stop_ whatever it was that was going to happen.

"Eacker!" Will exclaimed once they were face to face.

"William Cooke Mulligan. You're friendly with Philip Hamilton, am I right?"

"Yes, sir, I would say so. Not sure what little Pip himself would say. Why do you ask?"

He had a devilish grin, a grin that Georges would enjoy and laugh at under any other situation. But now, the very sight of it made his heart threaten to burst out of his chest in frustration.

"Will, stop," Georges pleaded. " _Stop._ "

Will did not listen.

"So it was  _you_ who let him into the party?"

Eacker had a gun in his hand, and his pointer finger was gently stroking the trigger.

"Sir, we meant no harm," Georges tried to explain, "and we apologize for any-"

"No, we don't." Will wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Please don't listen to my friend here."

"Please  _do_ listen to me," Georges protested.

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do - wait, Pip, is that you? PIP!"

Philip was bounding down the street, practically dancing through the air because of some unknown happiness, and Georges frantically freed himself from Will's hold and ran to him.

"Pip, please help." Georges grabbed his arm and looked at him, eyebrows raised and eyes widened. "Will's trying to start a fight with Eacker, and you  _know_ what Prince Washington said about fighting. Help me break this up, please, Pip, I don't want anyone to die." Tears began to form in his eyes, and Philip took his hand and looked straight at him.

"Let's go."

When they finally made their way back, Eacker and Will were already counting their paces, guns in hand, and Georges let out a helpless wail.

"Will!" Philip screamed, squeezing Georges's hand to try and calm him down. "Will,  _stop this right now._ "

"He sent us a duel invitation, and I had to," Will defended himself. "I'm a good shot, I'll just - _PIP!_ "

Philip yanked Georges forward in his burst, almost causing him to trip, then hurriedly let go and ran toward his other friend, wrapping an arm around him in an attempt to pull him away. But Will stood put, pistol pointing forward, and Eacker stood in the same position.

"Philip Hamilton," Georges heard, but his ears were too full, head spinning, to tell whether it was a statement of scorn or a confused question.

"Stop," he kept screaming, "stop, stop, stop!" but no one else heard him, because Will and Philip were fighting, and Eacker's buddy was egging them on, and why was Eacker holding his gun so close to his eye?

Oh.  _Oh._

Georges realized too late, and he ran across the streets to Eacker in a feeble final attempt at being the peacemaker. But before he could get anywhere, he tripped over a loose stone in the road and immediately fell flat on his face.

The last thing he heard was a gunshot and a scream.

 

When Georges awoke what felt like a minute later, his nose was in pain, as if it was broken. As he sat up woozily, he saw Philip, smoking gun in hand, standing in a pool of blood - not his own, by the looks of it - and staring ahead on shock. Then, he saw Will on the ground staring up blankly, brown eyes impossibly wide, blood pooling from his chest and around his body.

_Philip would never. Philip would never._

And he didn't. When Georges followed Philip's gaze, he saw what looked to be Theodosia Burr the elder cradling the body of what was undeniably Eacker.

"Pip?" Georges whispered, because it was the only thing that he could think to say.

"Georges," Philip said weakly. Still holding the gun, he walked over to his friend and gave him a hand up.

"Eacker fired at Will while we weren't paying attention," Philip explained, still holding Georges's hand. "And...and I got angry. So I took Will's gun from his hand and shot Eacker in the head. I wasn't thinking, Georges. I didn't mean to. But I  _did_ mean to. I don't know."

Philip took a deep breath and leaned his hand on Georges's shoulder. Then, he let out a horrifying sob, tears falling from his eyes and bleeding into the fabric of Georges's shirt. And Philip rarely cried, and the very fact that he was crying now forced Georges down to his knees into a helpless wail.

"What is the meaning of this?" A deep, rumbling voice cut through the fog of messy grief.

" _Philip Hamilton killed George Eacker!_ " Lady Burr burst out, looking up from his body and revealing the tears streaming down her face. " _Kill him! You said, my lord, you said-_ "

"Wait." Prince Washington held up a hand to silence her. "Tell me exactly what happened. Lord Hamilton, Lord Lafayette?"

Philip stood up, once again giving a hand to Georges.

"Eacker challenged Will to a duel." It was Philip who began, because Georges was still stunned into silence. "And Georges tried to stop him, and so did I when I came along. I grabbed him - Will - and tried to pull him away, but Eacker shot him while we were distracted. And when I realized what happened, I was so angry that I didn't think straight, so I shot him."

"So it was Eacker who started it?" Prince Washington asked.

"Yes, Your Grace."

Prince Washington looked at the duo, who were still holding hands and standing, Georges shaking as if he would fall over if Philip wasn't there.

"By the law," he said, "Eacker would be executed, and maybe Will. But both of them are dead, and you, Philip, are the only living perpetrator of this violence.

"Don't execute him!" Georges pleaded. "He didn't start this, he only ended it, please, Your Grace-"

" _Execute him!_ " Lady Burr shrieked, now having returned to cradling his body.

"I will not execute him," said Prince Washington eventually. "But I  _will_ exile him. Philip Hamilton, if you are found within the city's walls by tonight, then I  _will_ execute you. I will not allow this violence to continue."

Silence, in which Georges started shaking even more violently, and Philip let out a small, weak whimper. He turned Georges around, grabbed him by the shoulders, and looked him in the eyes.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered. "I promise, Georgie. It's going to be okay."

 

"And your eyes are a poem without words, a poem that even I can't write, a poem for which I would fight. You render me speechless, you can't be described, and I'm forever blessed that at that party I arrived."

Theodosia smiled at the paper that she had been reading aloud from, then held it to his chest and smiled up at the ceiling.

"I can't write, Pip," she murmured, "but if I could, I would write pages and pages and pages."

There was a knock on the door, and Theo quickly put the poem on the table face-down and opened it to see Polly wiping tears from her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked hurriedly, going to her friend to hug her.

Polly sobbed into her shoulder before speaking. "George Eacker is dead."

It took Theo a couple of seconds to register the words. Eacker  _couldn't_ be dead. He had always been at her house, always been alive, sometimes even played games with her and Polly.

"Dead?" she whispered.

"Yes, dead. Philip killed him."

"Philip?" Suddenly, she squeezed Polly tighter, remembering how Prince Washington had said that everyone who fought would be killed. "Is Philip dead?"

"No, he isn't, don't worry. Just banished."

 _Banished._ Her husband, banished, before they could truly spend time together as a married couple.

 _Banished._ She would never see him again, unless it was in the hushed night of forbidden love, both of them running away at every stray footstep.

 _Banished, banished, banished,_ and every time she thought the word was a stab wound in her heart.

"You have until tonight to see him," whispered Polly. "He's at Father Laurens's cell. I'll go talk to him, and then I'll take him to you."

Theo, who still had the word "banished" running through her head, could barely muster up the strength to nod.

 

Philip was flopped on the couch in Father Laurens's cell, tears pooling in his eyes and threatening to fall as he looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"Father...what am I going to do?" he whispered into the small room.

"Leave the city for a start," Father Laurens said, clenching his hand and trying to look him in the eye.

"I have two - one friend here. And my family. And my  _wife._ Father, I can't leave Theo. I  _can't._ "

"The prince could have executed you," Laurens comforted him. "But he didn't. And you should be grateful for that."

"I'd rather be executed," sighed Philip. "Then at least I don't have to worry about anything."

Laurens placed his free hand on his arm. "Philip,  _no._ Do you know how distraught your Theo would be?"

"I'll never see her again. What's the point?"

"There is a chance," Laurens comforted him. "With a bit of scheming, and maybe if we get Polly involved, then we can reunite you. But if you were dead, that would never happen. Do you understand?"

Eventually, Philip nodded. "All right."

"I'll send word to the Jefferson girl," Laurens said as he stood up. "Tell her that Philip will return."

 

Late evening found Lord Burr at his desk, forehead pressed against the wood as he breathed slowly. Lady Burr had a hand on his shoulder in a weak attempt to comfort him, even though she herself was just as distraught as him.

"Our house is in chaos," he whispered, so quietly that Theodosia had to lean in to hear. "I don't know what to do."

"We need an alliance with a strong family," Lady Burr reasoned. "Someone who can help us restore order. If we were to figure out how we could do that, then surely- Wait."

"What is it?" Lord Burr looked up at her, interested.

"Our Theo is still available for marriage. And the Alston house is more than willing to help us. And Joseph especially is interested in an alliance between our houses. Perhaps if you finally agreed, he would be more than willing."

Lord Burr nodded, soft smile beginning to cross his face. "You're right. It's sad that he didn't have the time to woo her, but this is a time of grief, and grief eclipses everything else that could possibly be important. I shall write to Lord Alston immediately. I'll tell him that I finally said yes."

 

"It's morning, I think," Theo murmured into Philip's ear. They were sitting on her balcony, holding hands and leaning as far into each other as they could, sharing their grief and their hearts.

"Not yet," Philip whispered back. "I can still stay."

And yet the sun was rising and driving them apart, blinding them as the moon never could, and the very thought that there was a time other than the darkest of night made Theo want to hold on to Philip and never let him go.

"Stay," Theo begged. "I don't know when we'll see each other again."

"Soon," Philip reassured her. "Soon, I'll come and see my love."

"Theo, your mother's calling you!" a voice came from inside.

Theo turned and looked at her husband.

"You heard her. Come down, Pip, please."

Reluctantly, Philip nodded. He gave her a brief kiss on the lips, then climbed over the railing and down the vines. And Theo wiped the tears that pooled in her eyes, tied her hair back into a bun, and went back into the room ready to greet her mother and Polly. To her surprise, Polly wasn't there, only Lord and Lady Burr, sitting on her bed and looking at her.

"Theo," her mother began. "We've decided that with all of the chaos that George Eacker's unjust murder started, it would be best for the house if you finally married Joseph Alston."

_But I'm already married. To Philip._

"No," she protested. "I'm too young. And I said that I wanted to finish my studies first, and you respected that, and-"

"Yes, we did," her father said. "And I'm incredibly sorry that things had to turn out like this. But the good of the house comes first. Rest assured that you'll be able to finish your studies during your marriage. Only you'll also have helped secure an alliance for the Burr house."

_I can't be married to two people at the same time._

"I don't know this Joseph Alston. How do I know that he'll allow me to finish my studies? Or pursue a career? Or be the independent woman that I want to be?"

" _I_ know him," said Lady Burr. "Even if he doesn't allow you to pursue your studies, he will love you. And I'll talk to him if he dares hurt you. You know I'm a good talker, especially to men." She smiled, a smile that Theo returned only with reluctance.

_I don't love Joseph Alston. I love Philip Hamilton._

"I don't want to!" she finally screamed, unable to control the hurricane of emotions that was swirling inside of her.

"Watch your tone," Lord Burr snapped. "Control yourself. You will be married to Joseph Alston whether you like it or not. And if you don't like it, then you can  _get out of this house,_ and I'll no longer acknowledge you as a member of the Burrs. Our house comes before your feelings, Theo. I thought you knew that."

Theo bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Think about it," said Lady Burr calmly, "and when you're ready to discuss this like the adult you are, then come back to us."

Once the Burrs had left the room, Theo threw herself onto her bed and wailed. 

Another knock on the door, and Polly came in, bushy hair a mess around her head.

"Theo, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Everything," Theo sobbed into her pillow. "Everything. My parents are forcing me to marry Alston, but I'm  _already_ married. To Philip. I  _can't,_ Polly, and I won't."

"I think you should," said Polly simply. "You don't have to love someone to marry them. My father, for example, is trying to marry me off to men I could care less about. It's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm already married, Polly. And I don't want to marry Alston."

"Do you want to be cast out onto the streets?"

"I will, if I have to."

"You'll die out there. Be reasonable, Theo. Laurens can keep a secret, or he can divorce you and Philip until we figure out what to do. And-"

Theo did nothing but make a sound that was a combination of a scream and a groan.

"I'm going to Laurens," she snapped, feeling an intense feeling of hatred toward the world. "I've disrespected my father, and I have to repent."

_And talk to him about what the hell I'm supposed to make of this situation._

 

**IV.**

When Theo peered through the door to Father Laurens’s cell, he was talking to a man whom she recognized as Joseph Alston. Curious, she leaned against the wall and listened in.

“We’re getting married at the end of the week,” said Joseph. “Her father has written to me recently.”

“That’s not a very long time,” Father Laurens protested.

“And he has informed me that he would never accept it otherwise. But our houses are in turmoil because of the deaths of young Eacker and the Mulligan child.”

“Have you talked to Theodosia yet? Do you even know if she wants this? If she wants _you?_ ”

_I’d like to see him try. All I’m giving him is a no._

“I was planning on coming to see her soon.”

Unable to resist anymore, Theo stepped inside and smiled sweetly. “You can see me now. I was just coming to confess my sins. What is it that you want to say to me?”

Joseph and Father Laurens turned around to look at her. Joseph’s gaze was expectant, though she wasn’t sure what exactly it was that he was expecting.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Joseph said after a moment of silence. “I’ll come talk to you after you’ve confessed.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. Whatever you want to say, you can tell me now. But I just want you to know that I will _never_ love you.”

Joseph jumped a little bit, taken aback by this sudden outburst.

“I will look forward to being your husband regardless,” he said. “And I do sincerely hope that you will grow to love me-”

“I won’t.”

“-and I will expect you to be a good, obedient, faithful wife. As I would expect it of anyone else.”

“ _Fuck. You._ ”

Alston took a deep breath, then stood up and left through the door, Theo glaring daggers at his back. When he left, Father Laurens smiled at her.

“Good job. I know your father would scold you for that, but-”

“The father I thought I knew wouldn’t. The father who’s _marrying me off to someone against my own will_ probably would.”  

“It really is unfair that this is happening,” Father Laurens conceded. “Now, is there any reason that you came to visit me other than just talking?”

“Yes, actually. You know we’re getting married off. But I’m already married. _What do I do?_ ”

Father Laurens breathed in and then breathed out, and with every second of silence, Theo grew more and more desperate.

“Please tell me that there’s a way. _Please._ Or at least give me the name of the highest tower in this city.”

Yes, it was reckless. Yes, it was stupid. But Theo was more than willing to do even the stupidest of things.

“Theo, _no._ I’m not going to let you do that.”

“I will, if there’s no other option!”

Father Laurens sighed. After another half minute of silence, he spoke again.

“Listen, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to give you a vial that makes you fall asleep, and your pulse stop, for forty-eight hours exactly. It looks like poison, but I promise you that it isn’t. You’ll take it on the day before you get married, and allow no one, not even your parents or Polly, into your room. On the morning of the wedding, you’ll be dead as far as anyone knows. You’ll be carried off to the Burr crypts, and in the meantime, I’ll have sent Philip a letter declaring our intentions. He’ll come back and carry you off to Weehawken, where he went in his exile. And everything will be okay.”

“Everything will be okay,” Theo repeated after him. It sounded too good to be true.

“Yes.”

Father Laurens reached into one of his cupboards and pulled out a small purple bottle. As Theo took it, she repeated her refrain inside of her head.

_Everything will be okay._

It would. It would.

 

Lord Burr sat in his chambers, finishing up his invitations, when he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in,” he called.

The door swung open, and Theodosia the younger entered, looking uncharacteristically small.

“Father, I’d like to apologize,” she said meekly, “for disrespecting you, for disrespecting this noble house, and for disrespecting Lord Alston. I will marry him without a word of protest come tomorrow.” She was shaking, as if she were about to cry, but no tears came.

“I forgive you,” Lord Burr said to her. “I, too, was scared when I married your mother. Marriage is a terrifying thing. Stress happens to the best of us. Come here.”

Theo walked across the room to him, and he allowed her to sit on his lap as he hugged her and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.

“Shh, shh, shh…” Lord Burr whispered into her ear, running his hands through her hair calmingly. “It’ll be okay.”

“Everything will be okay,” Theo murmured tiredly, as if she were a small child again, even though she was already nineteen and a soon-to-be bride.

“That’s right. Everything will be okay.”

 

 _Everything will be okay_ was all that Theo thought that night, standing at her bed, wearing a nightgown, and holding the vial in her hand.

 _Everything will be okay,_ as her parents had both told her as they kissed her goodnight, not knowing that the next morning they would find her dead.

_Everything will be okay._

It could have been poison, not on purpose, but by Father Laurens’s mistake, because he would never give her real poison. Never.

It could malfunction, and the next morning, she would be awake as always, and she would have to marry someone she didn’t love while she was already married to someone who did.

And something was happening right now, obviously, because she could have sworn that she heard George Eacker’s voice, accusing her of betraying her family.

 _You were loyal,_ he whispered into her ear, cold hands – his hands were always cold in life, but they were even colder now in death – wrapping around her waist.

_You were loyal, and now you’re betraying us._

“Get away from me, Eacker,” she snapped in a whisper. “You murdered my husband’s friend.”

 _I murdered my enemy. I always murder my enemies. I can murder_ you, _you know._

Theo backed away and fell into her bed, shaking. That was when she swallowed the potion and didn’t hesitate once.

 

“Theeeeeeeeeeeo!” Polly called the next morning, dancing to her bedroom, twirling around in the light blue dress that she had been saving up to buy for the longest time. This was the first time that she was going to wear it, at her best friend’s wedding, and she was more excited than she had ever been in her life.

“Theeeeeeeeeeeo! Wake up!” She knocked on the door, but it didn’t open.

“Theo, wake up, or you’re going to be late to your own wedding.”

Still no answer.

_This calls for desperate measures._

Polly went back into her room and put on her tricorn hat, wrapped a blanket around her shoulders like a cape, and grabbed the stick that she used as a sword. Then she opened the door to Theo’s room – it was unlocked, typical – and burst in, trying hard to contain her giggles.

“Rise up! Rise up! Rise up!” She approached Theo’s bed, ready to hit her with her “sword,” and found her completely gray and still.

“Theo?” Polly whispered, kneeling down and touching her shoulder. It was so cold that she pulled it away and shrieked.

“THEO!”

_Check her pulse, she could be alive and just cold._

Polly placed two shaking fingers to Theo’s wrist – and felt nothing. That fact alone made her shriek even louder and she pressed her face to her best friend’s stomach and wailed.

Footsteps behind her. She looked up and saw Lord and Lady Burr, who looked angry but then instantly shocked.

“Polly, what’s wrong?” Lady Burr asked her.

Polly sniffled. “Theo is dead.”

“Dead?” Lady Burr asked, stepping forward to her daughter.

“Yes, ma’am. I checked her pulse already. There isn’t any.”

“Let me check.” Lady Burr grabbed her daughter’s wrist, and upon that same discovery, she merely stared ahead, emotionless.

“Aaron,” she said simply, “tell Alston and order some servants to take the body to the crypt. I myself will start planning the funeral.” Only Polly, who was by her side, saw that her face was on the verge of cracking.

Lord Burr left, sniffling softly and whispering something to himself. As soon as the two were alone, Lady Burr hugged Polly and sobbed onto her shoulder.

Polly did the same exact thing, though every single one of her emotions was shrouded in disbelief. Her best friend couldn’t be dead. She _couldn’t._

And it felt like nothing would be okay ever again.

  

**V.**

Philip was leaning against a Weehawken statue, scribbling out a poem in his notebook, when he heard a voice say his name.

“Lord Hamilton?”

Philip looked up; it was a Hamilton servant, Gerald, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

“Gerald! How are you? Do you bring news from New York? How is everyone?”

“Georges is well, although still grieving for William. I have distressing news, my lord. Your wife is dead.”

“Theo?” Philip asked in disbelief.

“Yes, my lord. Theo.”

 _Theo._ It was unbelievable.

“She _can’t_ be dead!” he protested.

“She is. It’s all over the city. Her parents forced her to marry Joseph Alston, so she took poison and committed suicide.”

_No. No. NO!_

Philip dropped to the ground, notebook falling out of his hand and skidding on the wooden streets, and let out a wail.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Gerald said, trying his hardest to reach him. “I genuinely am. If you need anything from me, I am more than happy to provide.”

Philip glared up and wiped tears from his eyes with one arm. “Thank you, Gerald. Can you do me the favor of telling both Lord and Lady Burr and Joseph Alston that they can eat gigantic dicks?”

Gerald breathed in. “I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you, Gerald. You’re the only person in the world that I like right now.”

“Anything for you, my lord.”

As soon as Gerald left, the thoughts that he had been keeping away came back and haunted him.

_She kissed me. She married me. She read my poetry. She loved it, she loved me, I loved her. And now she’s dead._

They were swirling around inside of him, no matter how much he tried to clutch at his head to keep them away, and there was only one place in the city that they all led to.

_The apothecary._

“I’d like your best poison.”

The apothecary, a very old and a slightly confused man, merely nodded. “May I ask whom you are poisoning? And remember that one should not murder recklessly, one must always take time to reconsider-”

“No, you may _not_ ask whom I’m poisoning. And I’ll _never_ reconsider.”

He merely nodded, to Philip’s gratitude, and asked no more questions but “Quick and painless or slow and arduous?”

“Quick and painless,” said Philip. Five minutes later, he received a small green vial.

_Perfect. Now, I just have to see my Theo again._

“Father Laurens!”

Father Laurens looked up from his plants and tried to restrain himself from rolling his eyes when he saw Father Lee at his door, holding a piece of paper and smiling at him.

“Father Lee. Did you deliver the letter as I asked?”

“No, I did not. Too many people with the plague. I didn’t want to get infected.”

“ _That was an important letter! How could you?_ ” Father Laurens shrieked with anger. Anger was an easier emotion to feel than fear, which was what was creeping in as Lee looked at him.

“I think the plague is more important than whatever’s in that letter,” Lee snapped.

“The plague can be cured,” Father Laurens said dismissively. “Already scientists around the world are working on a cure. _A very high possibility of two people committing suicide_ can’t be.”

“Oh, fine, I suppose I’ll _try_ to get it delivered.”

“You’d better,” Father Laurens snapped. “ _Coward._ ”

_Or Philip and Theo will die._

 

It was night-time when Alston approached the Burr tomb alone. A bouquet of white flowers were wrapped in one arm, and a flaming torch was in the other. It was the only thing lighting his way in the darkness.

_Theodosia, oh, Theodosia._

Policemen of Prince Washington’s royal guard had investigated her and found that the most likely explanation for her death was suicide, and the most likely explanation in his own heart was that she had killed herself because she was to be married to him.

“It’s not your fault,” Lord and Lady Burr had reassured him. “It’s no one’s fault. No one is to blame.”

But there was always someone to blame. And in this case, that person was himself.

He didn’t know what the purpose behind this venture was. Maybe it was to make peace with Theo. Maybe it was to make peace with himself.

Joseph had a dagger in his belt. He wasn’t sure why.

At the entrance, he discovered that he wasn’t alone. Also entering the crypt was a boy whom he recognized as young Philip Hamilton, also with a torch in his hand and what looked to be a dagger at his side. His pocket was full, a small vial standing out against the fabric.

“Hamilton,” Joseph said.

“Alston,” Philip shot back. “Why are you here?”

“To visit Theo. Why are _you_ here? To deface the tomb? Because I won’t let you do that. _On my fucking life, I will not let you do that._ ”

“I’m here for the same reason as you,” Philip sighed sadly. “I see that dagger in your pocket, Alston. I brought poison. It’s much more painless.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. And _I know_ you’re not here to visit Theo. You can’t fool me with that.”

A flash, and Philip was holding his dagger in his right hand. “I’m not going to let you stop me from visiting her. Get out of my way.”

“Never.” Joseph pulled out his own dagger and pointed it at him.

It was hard to have hand-to-hand combat with two daggers, but the two men made do. Philip was evidently used to this; he had probably had practice as a child. And near the end, against his own will or perhaps following it, Joseph started to give up. Whatever the reason, soon Philip was standing over his body, dagger in hand, blood trickling down his arms and dripping down onto Joseph Alston.

“Place me near Theodosia,” Alston whispered, so quietly that Philip had to lean in to hear. “Will you do that for me?”

Somehow, Philip knew that Alston finally believed him. So he nodded, placed the torch into a rung on the wall, and with great difficulty picked him up in a bridal carry and walked into the Burr crypt.

Theo was the most recent body, so she was out on the table, not having been cleaned up and put inside one of the wall slots yet. It was chilling to have seen her so full of life and now to see her dead, and Philip shook so hard that he almost dropped Alston onto the floor. He gently set him down on another table and arranged his limbs so that he was in a sleeping position. Then, he moved over to the woman who had been his wife and looked at her still face.

“Theo,” he whispered. “Theo, I will always love you. Always.”

He had kissed her hand when they had first met at that party. Was it really only a week ago? So much had happened since then. Back then, things were so simple. Back then, William had been alive.

Philip needed simple in his life. So he knelt down, took her hand, and pressed his lips to it. It was cold, but he left them on it for what seemed like forever, before he finally remembered what he was here to do.

He took the vial out of his pocket, took out the stopper, and threw it at the wall, where it shattered into little pieces on the floor. That sound was satisfying, and he felt any anger that he may have had disappear from his mind and his body, replaced with a seeping sense of calm.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Philip swallowed the poison and pressed his lips back onto Theo’s hand. It was still cold, but as he kept it there, hair brushing against her arm, it grew warmer and warmer and warmer.

_Yes. Now we’re finally the same. Together in death, just like we were in life._

Warmer and warmer and warmer, until it was scalding hot.

And then it was nothing.

 

When Theo awoke a couple of hours later, the first thing that she registered was that she was still in the crypt, and not in Weehawken with a smiling Philip and Father Laurens by her side. That was her first hint that something had gone wrong.

The second thing that she registered was the fact that Philip Hamilton was kissing her hand, and that his lips were ice cold.

The third thing that she registered was a shattered glass vial on the floor, something clear seeping out of it.

Her famous non-stop mind worked at an impossible speed, putting all of the pieces together. And at the center was one simple thing that she knew had to be fact.

_Philip never got Father Laurens’s letter._

So that meant that he thought that she was dead, so he bought some poison and travelled back to New York to see her one last time. Then he killed himself.

_Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no._

There was no poison left; there had been just enough for Philip’s one serving. She sat up and looked around the room for something else that she could use, and her eyes eventually settled on Philip’s dagger in his pocket.

_Surrender to Philip’s dagger. Just as I surrendered to Philip himself._

They had given each other each other. They had shared a mind, they had shared a soul, and had they waited a little longer, they would have shared a body.

_Philip. My Philip._

She wasn’t sure how she would live without him. So she wouldn’t.

Theo’s hand reached to his pocket and grabbed the dagger. It was already bloody, and when she looked over, she saw that it had already murdered Joseph Alston.

_My Philip._

She pressed her lips into Philip’s curls one last time. If things had gone a different way, perhaps she would press her lips into identical curls, only they belonged to a baby in her arms, with Philip by her side and smiling down at him.

_If, if, if…_

All her life she had followed other people’s plans. First told to get married and have children, then told to marry Joseph Alston, then told to drink a vial so that she would be dead for forty-eight hours. Now, her life would be entirely her own. Her life would be entirely Philip’s.

She stabbed the dagger straight into her heart. When the blood escaped her, she was surprised by how warm it was at first, before after a second she got used to the heat. There was pain, and she felt herself weakening, but it was good pain. She liked it.

The blood was getting warmer again, and Philip’s lips, too. And then it was scalding hot, and he was warm, just as he had been in life. That was the happiest moment, she decided. The happiest moment.

And then it was nothing.

 

Polly Jefferson was going to her best friend’s crypt to deliver flowers when she saw a sight that she wasn’t expecting to see.

On the left was Joseph Alston, body bleeding all over the table and all over the floor. On the right was Philip Hamilton, kneeling down and holding the hand of Theodosia Burr.

Theo herself was limp, only something was different. In her left hand, she held a dagger that Polly recognized as belonging to the Hamilton family, and it was plunged into her heart and bleeding.

And then, even farther right, Father Laurens stood, looking at the two lovers and weeping.

“Father?” Polly asked him in what was barely above a whisper. “What happened? Do you know?”

“Polly, Theo wasn’t dead when you found her on the morning of her wedding. She had taken a vial that I had given her to make her _appear_ dead, and the plan was to smuggle her out of the city to meet Philip. But things went wrong. Philip committed suicide because he thought that Theo was dead, and Theo committed suicide because Philip _was_ dead. I’m very sorry for your loss. I know that she was your-”

“ _How could you?_ ” Polly shrieked, releasing all of the emotions that she was feeling. “ _How could you do this and not tell me? How could you do this to them?_ ”

“Polly, I’m sorry,” Father Laurens said. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

Polly turned away from him, leaned against the wall, and sobbed.

About an hour later, Prince Washington burst in with two members of his royal guard, Lord Hamilton, and Lord and Lady Burr.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked Father Laurens. He ignored Polly, who was now slumped against the wall and sobbing into her knees.

Father Laurens repeated the same story that he had just told Polly, only extended, with details as to the fact that Philip and Theodosia were married. When he was finished, Lord Hamilton stood in shock, and his face shattered as he looked down at his feet. Lord and Lady Burr embraced and sobbed into each other, and that made Polly wonder why Lady Hamilton didn’t come with her lord to see her son. She would need to find out later.

_Later, though. Not now._

“They died because of _you!_ ” Polly suddenly burst out, glaring at the two lords.

“Pardon?” Lord Hamilton asked.

“If you two had just ended that ridiculous feud of yours, maybe apologized and smoothed it over, then Philip and Theo wouldn’t feel the _need_ for all of this scheming, and then maybe they would still be alive! My _best friend_ would still be alive!”

Polly wasn’t crying now. She never cried when she was so angry that she practically couldn’t breathe.

“The girl is right,” said Father Laurens. “Alexander, I know how much you enjoy arguing, but your arguing has in this case killed your son.” He looked over at Polly and smiled, and Polly, despite her anger, smiled back.

Lord Hamilton looked at Lord Burr. Both men were crying, but they went to each other and took each other’s hands.

“I apologize.” Lord Hamilton spoke first, defying his argumentative reputation that was practically all that he was known for.

“I apologize, too,” said Lord Burr.

And then Lord Hamilton couldn’t control it, and tears began to fully pour from his eyes and down his face and neck. Lord Burr wrapped his arms around him and joined him in weeping, and when Lady Burr joined the hug, both accepted her without a single word.

_Maybe someday, there will be another Philip Hamilton and another Theodosia Burr, and they will fall in love, and their love won’t be rejected or ignored._

It was then that Polly noticed that Georges Washington de Lafayette and Frances Laurens had also accompanied the lords. Without a word, Georges knelt at Alston’s body, grabbed a sponge, and began to clean it up.

Frances hugged her father briefly, then walked over to help Polly with the lovers’ bodies. Together, they picked up Philip’s body and carried it over to another table, and then Polly arranged his limbs into a comfortable position while Frances left to clean up the blood on Theo’s corpse.

_…their love won’t be rejected or ignored._

Lord Hamilton and Lord and Lady Burr were now walking side by side, occasionally exchanging words as they helped their children. It was a fairly quiet scene, and Polly didn’t know why she had expected it to be more.

But this was good. This was enough. For them to just do one thing together without arguing, for them to come together through their grief, for once being together and not fighting about something or other.

More would come. Baby steps would need to be taken to reunite the Hamiltons and the Burrs once more. Or maybe this scene was a gigantic leap, and peace would come just like that.

Polly didn’t know. She wouldn’t know until it actually came.

Frances came over to Philip’s corpse and helped Polly brush his hair. Along the way, their hands bumped into each other, and the girls looked at each other and smiled.

_Maybe someday, true peace will come. Baby steps._

_Maybe someday…_

**Author's Note:**

> I did a lot of research on the Hamil-kids for this okay  
> And by a lot of research I mean a couple of quick Google searches to write equivalents of the characters


End file.
